By Owen Swanson & Charlie Goodwin

Welcome to Five-Hole Features, our new series of blogs dedicated to interesting aspects of the NHL that don't necessarily have to do with on-ice performance. This week we're taking a look at the alternate jerseys Adidas has announced for their second season as the NHL's official jersey provider. Not every team will wear a 3rd sweater this season, but here we do a quick breakdown of our thoughts on what has been announced, released, or leaked so far.

Anaheim Ducks

Charlie: I think Anaheim messed this one up a bit. Everyone loves the original jerseys. Bring those back, there’s no reason to change them. It’s still a cool jersey but it could’ve been a lot better.

Owen: While they definitely could have done a better job matching the originals, this isn’t a bad homage. These jerseys are definitely interesting and will be fun to watch on the ice, regardless of their accuracy.

Arizona Coyotes

Owen: If you don’t like these jerseys, you’re either blind or just generally boring. An excellent allusion to the original Coyotes “Peyote Coyote” jerseys, the addition of more black and red make these fit better with the current uniform set and will give people a reason to turn on the dreadful Coyotes this season.

Charlie: Well I guess I’m boring because I’m not a huge fan of these jerseys. While I think the color scheme is really great and a nice shift from Arizona’s normal colors, the logo and tribal pattern are a bit out there for me, and would be best kept in the past.

Boston Bruins (Winter Classic Jerseys)

Owen: Boston kept it really simple with these sweaters. They even got rid of their normal “wheel and spoke” design. The design is too simple for me, especially in the torso area. Not a fan. The only recognizable aspects of Boston’s normal sweaters here are the colors and the letter “B”.

Charlie: I like the change of color for a more classic look, appropriate for the Winter Classic. I agree that they should have kept their iconic logo, and I’m never a fan of stripes. It’s an average jersey.​

Calgary Flames

Charlie: I think Calgary did a great job on these jerseys. A classic and clean look that will complement a fun team on the ice with a fun jersey to look at. One of the best alternate jerseys this year.

Owen: I like the reference to their older style of jersey, although I think they could’ve made it more interesting and given it a more modern look. I know the old jerseys didn’t have any black, but some black in this iteration would’ve made the jersey a lot more interesting.

Carolina Hurricanes (3rd Jersey and Hartford throwbacks)

Owen: This is an excellent revival of an old Carolina alternate jersey. It’s really appropriate with their name (the flag is a hurricane warning sign). It’s an excellent usage of a hockey stick in a logo, and it doesn’t feel forced. The addition of a second flag on the stick is more accurate to actual hurricane warning signs, too, and a nice touch.

Charlie: I agree with everything you said, they eventually needed to correct the usage of the flag on the jersey (one flag means a rainstorm, not a hurricane). I don’t know why some are so low on these jerseys, in my opinion they are one of the better third jerseys released this season.​

Charlie: Amazing tribute to the original iteration of the franchise, the Hartford Whalers. I’m glad they brought back the original jersey and didn’t make any modern changes to it. In my opinion, this is the best alternate jersey this season, and the only problem is they’re only wearing it three times.

Owen: It feels a little weird to be wearing a jersey of a team that was taken away from a city, especially since Carolina has the possibility of being relocated due to their lack of success in recent years, both on the ice and off. It looks great, but feels a little poorly timed.​

Chicago Blackhawks (Winter Classic)

Owen: This feels like a really bad attempt at minimalism or subtlety. The straight black and white is extremely uninspired and the striping is just horrific. I get the sense that these were designed with far too big of a focus on being unique and I don't see the point. Just all around boring.

Charlie: I totally agree, for a team that usually has incredible jerseys, Chicago really dropped the ball on this one. There hasn’t been a Blackhawks jersey I really disliked until now. A team with a reputation like Chicago’s needs to do better, especially for a winter classic.​

Colorado Avalanche

Charlie: While I think the colors of this jersey and its logo are nice, I really dislike the flag on the shoulder. If you want to bring back the old jerseys this alternate is referencing, then bring them back fully instead of including just a small reminder of the colors everyone wants back. Not to mention the asymmetry of the shoulder pads that results from this choice.

Owen: I agree the jersey logo is a nice reference to the old Colorado Rockies jerseys, and I like how they modified the old logo a little bit. I disagree about the colors, though. It's cool that they put the modern franchise’s spin on the old team’s logo. I agree the asymmetry on the shoulders is annoying, but I like the flags, and just prefer that they would’ve put one on each shoulder.​

Columbus Blue Jackets

Owen: I’m pretty sure this is just a revival of a previous alternate jersey. The color scheme is a little bit bland, as it was before. Some red somewhere in there would be nice, but the logo is unique and striking, and a nice reference to Ohio’s Civil War history as well. Not bad by any stretch.

Charlie: While I agree with you on the color scheme, I think it fits well with the old-time feel of the cannon logo. I’ve never been a fan of circular patches on the chest of jerseys, so I think the Blue Jackets would have been better off just putting the cannon without the circular patch surrounding it. Average jersey.​

Edmonton Oilers

Owen: These look exactly like the old Oiler home jerseys before they switched to orange as their main color. I don't know why they would bring back an old home jersey as their alternate. It's a very boring move and feels like a cop out. Something plain based on the oil drop logo or generally more bright in color would’ve been better.

Charlie: I think these are really nice and a classic Oiler look. I agree that they shouldn’t be used as an alternate, but I think they should be the normal home jersey. I have no idea why they use orange as the normal home jersey when the blue are preferred by the fans. Same problem as the Whalers jersey -- they aren’t worn enough.​

New Jersey Devils

Alex: It’s been a busy last few days, but with the election finally over, we can get back to what’s most important: football. Michigan had a systematic dismantling of Penn State on Saturday, a 42-7 thrashing of the Nittany Lions. They now have an easy stretch leading up to the Ohio State game including Rutgers and Indiana.

Evan: 78-0. See you next week.

Alex: Hey, save the Scarlet Knights slander for later in the piece. We need to start by discussing the preceding game. What was your #1 takeaway from the beat down over PSU?

Evan: 42-7. Next?

Just kidding. I have a few key takeaways. The first is that Josh Uche might be the best pass-rushing specialist in America. At his best, he is almost literally unblockable. The stutter step move he used on Penn State’s tackle on third down of their first drive was absolutely filthy. I’ll stick with defense for now, and my next big point is that Brandon Watson is maybe the 9th or 10th best player on this defense and he has two pick-6s this year. Michigan’s corners have more touchdowns than they have allowed so far this year. Don. Brown. Is. The. Best. Coordinator. In. The. Country.

Alex: It was quite the showing from Michigan’s defense, which managed to keep three teams all ranked in the top 35 of S&P+ (Wisconsin, MSU, PSU) to a combined 27 points. For me the biggest takeaway is in a similar vein: how hungry this team looks. Remember when you were panicking over the supposed “slow starts” with this team? That feels like a distant memory at this point. On these first three stops on the revenge tour, Michigan has come right out, taken the lead, and never let up. Impressive work.

Evan: Well… Let’s hold on there for a second. This game should have been 7-7 midway through the 2nd quarter if offsetting penalties on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown didn’t erase the return. It should have been 14-7 at halftime if Trace McSorley didn’t miss a wide open receiver that burned Brandon Watson down the sideline. Michigan once again wore their opponent down and went in for the kill… late in the 3rd quarter. It was still 14-0 with 1:38 left in the 3rd when Michigan capped a 14 play, 6+ minute drive with a touchdown pass to Zach Gentry. The Brandon Watson pick-6 then came two plays into Penn State’s next drive. But let’s not pretend that Michigan didn't dominate this game from start to finish. It was slow, methodical, and well executed, but this could have been a very different game at halftime. The defense played extremely well aside from Watson getting burned on a double move and Penn State’s garbage time touchdown drive. The offense controlled the game and the clock, but they did not finish drives early.

Alex: That’s fair. If there is one critique of this team over this stretch, it might be that the games weren’t buried in the first half, even though it’s been lots of fun to watch them squeeze the life out of an opponent in the fourth quarter. Speaking of which… how about that offensive line? Another opposing squad gashed on the ground by an OLine unit that may now be one of the two best in the Big Ten. Just incredible improvement.

Evan: You have to think that all the reps they get in practice against this elite Michigan pass rush has helped them improve. I would love to see how the O-line fairs against what is at least a top 5 pass rush in the country at full strength. Some of the holes Higdon had were absolutely gaping, and Patterson had plenty of time on most of his throws. The Penn State secondary played a decent game, but it’s hard to lock down a receiver for 8 seconds when a mobile QB like Patterson can sit back for 3-4 seconds and then scramble out of the pocket and extend the play. This team finally appears to have the offense necessary to compete with the national powerhouses. Ed Warriner and Shea Patterson have lived up to the hype and more.

Alex: I would say that Warriner has far exceeded the hype. I don’t think there’s anyone who would have reasonably predicted how much improvement has occurred. The hope in the summer was that he could maybe get the tackles to serviceable and the line to an above average standard. Instead the line is somewhere between good and great and the tackles are almost above average themselves. By the way, it’s worth noting that throw that Patterson made to Peoples-Jones for the TD. On the run, perfect strike. That’s an elite level throw that a Michigan QB hasn’t been able to make in a long, long time.

Evan: I’d like to briefly say that Shea Patterson having the 3rd best Heisman odds is flat out disrespectful to Karan Higdon, but it is nice to see the offense finally be performing well enough to receive national recognition. Also, let’s play a quick game. I’ve got a few fill in the blanks for you:

Donovan Peoples-Jones is the best Michigan receiver since _______.

This is Michigan’s best WR corps since _______.

This year’s defense is _______ than the 1997 defense.

Alex: For the first one, it’s tough. Talent-wise, he’s on par with Braylon Edwards. But production isn’t quite matching because Michigan isn’t throwing it all that much and there are a ton more targets on this team than say in 2016, when it was literally just Butt, Chesson, and Darboh. For the second one, probably some of those mid-2000s teams with Manningham and Breaston. And the third one…. we have to wait and see I guess. It’s definitely in the holy club of 97, 16, and now 18. But I need to watch the whole season play out first.

Evan: Those are all fair answers. Do you.. even want to bother talking about Rutgers… or… talk about… I don’t know, literally anything else?

Alex: Let’s talk about Rutgers. But we’ll do it through a series of three questions.

1.) How many QB’s play for Michigan in this game?2.) Who is the most obscure player who will get a catch or a carry for the Wolverines? 3.) How many walk-ons will play in this game for Michigan?

Evan:

At a minimum, 3. Patterson will take a few drives before Peters comes in. Joe Milton will eventually seen some action in the second half. The real question is whether Michael Cessa gets some action in the final minutes. The over/under is 3.5, but I’ll take the under. I think they’ll want to get Milton as much game experience as possible so that he is ready to go in the event that Shea Patterson goes down.

This is tough. Guys like Berkley Edwards and Jared Wangler have already gotten touches, so they’re out of the picture. I really don’t have a good sense of who the remaining players who we haven’t seen play yet might be, but my default will be freshman tight end Mustapha Muhammad (if he’s healthy).

I’ll set the over/under at a dozen. You can only bring so many players with you to road games or it’d be higher.

Thoughts?

Alex: I forgot about Cessa. I might be inclined to take the over in that case. Mustapha Muhammad is a good pick, especially since he was a highly touted recruit. And I concur on the third.

Let’s wrap up with prediction, MVP, and thing to watch.

Evan: I’ll go with 56-0. MVP is Joe Milton. Thing to watch: How Brandon Wimbush performs in his first start in nearly two months and how Georgia performs in their last test before the SEC Championship vs Bama.

By Owen Swanson & Charlie Goodwin

OwenFast Start: VancouverFourteen games into the young 2018-19 NHL season, the Vancouver Canucks find themselves in second place in the Pacific Division. Their young studs have carried most of the load so far, with center Elias Pettersson leading the way with 15 points in 9 games played. Forwards Bo Horvat (15 GP) and Brock Boeser Pettersson (13 GP) are tied for second in scoring with 11 points each. These young, dynamic players have flourished early in the season and look to be the foundation of the next contending Canucks team.

​Don’t expect Vancouver to stay hot for long and a playoff berth still seems unlikely. While the stellar performances from the team’s young players so far this season are encouraging looking ahead, a reliance on breakout performances and youth carrying the load is not a recipe for sustained success. As opposing teams accrue more film on players like Pettersson, Horvat, and Boeser, their offensive production will become more difficult to maintain and their defensive flaws will be exposed. A negative goal differential thus far and the less-than-stellar D-core also doesn’t bode well for the team’s future play in their own zone. In fact, the Canucks have been scored on at least three times in all of their losses this season. The situation in net is equally as underwhelming, as starter Jacob Markstrom (9 GS) has posted a .899 Save Percentage and -2.71 Goals Saved Above Average.

The Canucks embark on a six-game road trip starting Tuesday against the Red Wings and play five straight games in the Eastern Conference, three teams of which have started the season exceptionally hot (BOS, BUF, NYI). They then match up against the Minnesota Wild before heading home. Considering the Canucks are .500 on the road to start the season, they likely won’t be looking quite as impressive by the time they return home. Even then, Vancouver’s schedule doesn’t relent as they face five of their next seven games against presumptive playoff teams.

Slow Start: Los Angeles KingsAt the beginning of the season, the Kings looked positioned at worst for a wild-card berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and at best as dark-horse Stanley Cup contenders. The addition of sniper Ilya Kovalchuk to an already talented roster that didn’t lose much this past offseason made the Kings an interesting team to watch, and certainly one that most didn’t expect to get worse. The return of Jeff Carter to full health, the signing of Drew Doughty to an extension, and head coach John Stevens coming off a playoff appearance following his first year behind the bench all added to what appeared to be a promising season for the Kings. Few would have seen a start this bad coming. In reality, the season couldn’t have started any worse. Los Angeles is tied for last in the NHL standings with the Florida Panthers, head coach John Stevens has been fired, and star goaltender Jonathan Quick is out indefinitely after undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

Despite Ilya Kovalchuk playing well since arriving in SoCal, leading the team in points and goals with 11 and 4 respectively, even his contributions to the Kings’ offense haven’t remedied a unit that scored 3 total goals while being swept last postseason. Los Angeles currently ranks last in the NHL in offense with a pitiful 2.15 Goals for per Game.

There’s reason to believe the Kings won’t be this bad the whole season, however. The return of Dustin Brown should help their cause in the short term, as he has begun his season hot, contributing 4 points in 3 games played so far. And even though interim Head Coach Willie Desjardins is a less than encouraging hire, having finished second-to-last and last in his final two seasons coaching Vancouver, the coaching change may light a fire under the team. Regardless of the actual tactical impact the leadership change has, every player has been put on notice and, as so often happens with mid-season coaching changes, the team could play very well in the coming month. The Kings can also take solace in the fact that they rank in the top third of the NHL in Goals Against per Game, and their veteran core of defenseman could help them weather the storm.

Regardless, the Kings have a tough stretch of games ahead of them, and veteran defensemen and improved effort won’t be enough to keep them afloat if backup goaltender Jack Campbell can’t step up and reliably keep pucks out of the net. The second week of November is almost always too early to call it a lost season, but with the position LA finds itself in already, it will take a miraculous turnaround for the Kings to sniff the playoffs this year.

Charlie

Fast Start: Montreal CanadiensThere were a lot of teams to choose from for the most surprising start to the season -- the Islanders, the Canucks, Buffalo. But, I eventually had to be biased and write about my dear Habs.

From a roster standpoint, the Habs should not be doing well. They’ve dumped almost all of their core players from their playoff runs a few years ago, it looks like Carey Price’s lower body injuries will never allow him to return to Vezina form, and they have a ton of no-name players (I’m still learning the roster). But somehow they’re getting it done. Fifteen games into the 2018-19 NHL season, they sit tied for 3rd in the tough Atlantic Division with a record of 8-5-2 (18 points).

The one thing the Canadiens have this year that they have lacked for the past five or so years is simple -- OFFENSE. In my years as a Habs fan, they have always given Carey Price an enormous load and his performance would solely decide if they won or not. If he gave up 2 goals in a game, there was a very small chance they would come out victorious. But things are different now. Price is playing far from his best, with a goals against average of almost 3, but the Habs are finding ways to win. They have tallied 48 goals this year -- the 11th most in NHL. In the previous five seasons (three of which they made the playoffs, and two of which they won the Atlantic Division), their highest finish in goals scored was fifteenth.

Offseason addition Tomas Tatar has added a strong veteran to the club, with eight assists and a point in almost every game and Max Domi has been firing on all cylinders, scoring a goal in the last five games and tying his season total from last year with nine goals. Third overall draft pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi looks to be the right selection and someone who can lead the team for years to come. If the Canadiens still have a solid record when they regain star defenseman Shea Weber to help their defensive woes, there’s no reason to think Montreal can’t snag a Wild Card spot.

Slow Start: Florida PanthersIn our season preview for the National Hockey League, I said that the Panthers would surely earn a playoff berth, and were my dark horse Stanley Cup contenders. I was...wrong, to say the least. Twelve games into the 2018-19 season, they sit at absolute last in the NHL with a record of 4-5-3 (11 points). But there is hope for Florida Panther fans.

The Panthers have a goal differential of -4 -- they have scored 38 goals, while 42 goals have been scored against them. Six of their eight losses have been by one goal. These stats mean that they have been unable to win close games. This should be no surprise. With an average age of 26.75, they are one of the younger teams of the NHL. People must also remember that their goaltender, Roberto Luongo, brings that average up a bit at 39 years of age. While Luongo’s career has been reborn the past couple of years, the Panthers can’t rely solely on him for their success at this age. The old timer can only do so much to help the young Panthers before he cracks. The responsibility falls more on young centerpieces Aaron Ekblad, Vincent Trocheck, and Aleksander Barkov to improve their play.

The Panthers season is far from over. A late season surge last year left them one point shy of a playoff berth, after being mediocre most of the season. They are currently on a two game win streak, showing signs of improvement. Do I think they can still make the playoffs? Absolutely. It is still very early in this NHL season. Do I still think they can make a run at the Cup? With their inability to win close games and lackluster play from key players, no. But, once you make the playoffs, anything can happen. It’s just a question of if the Florida Panthers are up to the challenge.

1) New Orleans SaintsLadies and Gentleman, your new Super Bowl favorites. This team showed me this week that they are the most creative, dynamic, and unselfish offense in the whole league. The defense is also becoming more of what we thought they can be. There run defense is nasty, even without Marcus Davenport. The Saints are in real good shape, I just wish they would play more man to man instead of zone. One more thing: Drew Brees is not the MVP, this is a running football team now dependent on how well Sean Payton can create greatness from Drew Brees and Kamara. Still playing out of his mind football though.

2) LA RamsThis game exposed the game plan for beating the LA Rams: play surgical offense and keep the ball out of Todd Gurley’s hands. If you do that, then you have a chance. It just so happens that the Rams played the perfect team to beat them. Last I checked, Sean McVay is still the Head Coach, Wade Phillips is the DC, and Gurley is still the presumptive Offensive MVP (should be MVP), this team will be fine. The only worry I have is that this team has legit problems stopping big plays from being game-changing plays, they give up too many 50 yard plays for my liking. They need Talib back because whatever happened to Peters is legit terrifying if you are a Rams fan.

3) Kansas City Chiefs Another day another 3 TD game for Mahomes and the scariest offense in the sport. I think we are watching the assergence of Kareem Hunt as a possible superstar in this league. While the other teams ahead of them can slice and dice anyone they face, the Chiefs can just chop you in half over and over again. I trust no team more in this league to get 7. The only thing stopping me from having them number 1 is that their defense is simply okay outside Dee Ford.

4) New England Patriots This offense is unstoppable. They are able to consistently get 7 yard gains and 30 yard games at will. Much like the Saints, an all time great QB is now playing through their running game except their only real RB has been sidelined. This team is playing without Gronk and Sony, yet are still performing at an elite level. Most importantly for the Patriots, the defense is stepping up to serviceable. As a person who has been the “Patriots hater” of the year. I may be eating crow now.

5) Carolina Panthers This team impresses me more and more each week. Part of me really wants to put them ahead of the Saints because I secretly think this may just be the best team in the South. I think this team is incredibly star-driven with both sides playing lights out until garbage time. I think Cam Newton is way more of an MVP than Drew Brees, and I do not think it is close. Every playmaker on the offense can score on any touch, defenses beware.

6) Pittsburgh SteelersDespite all the Le’Veon drama, this offense is chugging along just fine. Much like the Chiefs. they can just hammer you away until you beg for mercy. They can be up 20 like that. The defense is also really impressing me. There may be no pass defense, but you try running the ball against Tuitt, Hayward, and Hargrave. Those three could each bench 5 WCBN members with no problem and take up about double the average space of a WCBN member. I think this team can do some real damage, and are firmly in contention with the Patriots and Chiefs for best team in the AFC. Where’s all the Mike Tomlin haters now?!

7) Chicago BearsI know it was against the Bills and Trubisky only played below average, but I don’t care. I LOVE THIS TEAM. This team has everything I want except a wide receiving core. Trubisky might be the best running QB in the sport, including Watson. The defense still looked dominant (again against Nathan Peterman and the Bills) even without Khalil Mack, with Leonard Floyd finally coming into his own. Expect Tarik Cohen to bounce back because he is a force in the pass game. This team WILL win the NFC North barring injuries. Chicago fans will still call for Trubisky’s head.

8) LA (San Diego) ChargersColor me impressed with their win over the Seahawks. I just saw nothing other than good defense that really stood out to me. Everyone on offense looked...fine. That’s not how they should be playing when they are in the playoff hunt, even with a shot for the Division. I hope this is an outlier because when this team gets Bosa back the defense will be an elite unit. I just hope the offense catches up.

9) Houston Texans The league leader barely scraped by against the Broncos by the skin of their teeth and a dominant defense. This team can make noise, but this game proved that the 2 game stretch of good O Line play was just a fluke, granted they played Von Chubb. I have no doubt this team will win the division, but I now have doubt about them in the postseason. If you can’t block, how are you ever supposed to get any production out of Lamar Miller.

10) Minnesota VikingsThis is more indicative of my feelings for the Bears than of the Vikings, who I think will be in the playoffs, and a dangerous voice in it. The offense looks amazing, and Dalvin Cook seems to be officially back and like the teams before, they can score a lot of points. I just still question this defense and their O-line play. With a decent pass rush Kirk Cousins will be in trouble, and moving forward this WILL be a problem for them. Their secondary’s issues are seeming better but I am not convinced they are solved. I think at the end of the day the Vikings are a good team, who’s best year was last year. Danielle Hunter; however, is my new man-crush.

11) Philadelphia Eagles I have faith that this team will figure it out, and against the sickening division rival Cowboys this week, expect this to be the Eagles’ second half coming out party. Carson Wentz is about to prove how last year was no fluke, and with Golden Tate now on squad, this team can now be more creative than ever. Watch out, because with a week off to incorporate the new pieces and get people healthy, the Eagles may prove that they can beat anyone.

12) Cincinnati BengalsThe perennially second Wild-Card team Bengals are back at it again after a BYE and a Ravens loss. Unfortunately for the Bengals, AJ Green will be out for 2 crucial games against the Saints and the Ravens, but the good news is that the Ravens don’t seem in it, and the rest of the Wild-Card picture seems scarce, unless the Broncos all of a sudden heat up and the Jags find a way to get rid of Bortles.

13) Washington Football Team This team is showing who they really are. They are a team you cannot trust to score points and are reliant on aging Adrian Peterson and Alex Smith. I’m sorry this team is not built to win. Their defense is carrying them in games because the Bama Bros on the D Line are playing exceptional football. This is an overachieving team that still may make the playoffs.

14) Miami Dolphins No team won an uglier game all year than the Dolphins this past Sunday. They are in this slot purely because of record. I can’t in good conscience trust a team with Brock Osweiler as QB. I think this team could very well lose every game moving forward. If they don’t give the ball to Kenyan Drake more I will scream.

15) Atlanta FalconsHuh, their offense can thrive, even though they aren’t very creative. The Falcons can somehow reach the playoffs this season. They only play 2 teams with a winning record and both (Panthers, Saints) are in their division. This team is still in this. I just don’t trust the defense to not blow games for them, and holding Washington to 14 doesn’t impress me.

16) Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson is a god. Yes, they lost to a good Chargers team, but they almost beat them exclusively because of what Wilson is able to do. This team will do nothing special, but has eked their way into playoff consideration based on their leader. Watch out for the New Baby Boomers in Seattle’s Secondary, Tedric Thompson looks legit.

17) Baltimore Ravens I thought this year was different, but it looks as though the Ravens are heading towards a 7-9, 8-8 team for the same reasons as the last two years: lack of puss rush, and no explosive playmakers. Crabtree and John Brown does not a team make. Hopefully they figure it out during their BYE week, but it may just be too late.

18) Green Bay PackersThis gives me no joy. Aaron Rodgers can only do so much on his own. This team is just impressive. They give up a lot of points, and the offense is too basic to do anything about catching up. This may be the year Mike McCarthy loses his job or at least play calling duties. This team needs to figure out some identity outside Aaron Rodgers (FREE AARON JONES!!!!). I think they need to build around Jaire Alexander because already he is a top 6 CB in football.

19) Tennessee TitansThis is how the Titans win games. Stop the run and control pace of play. Mariota may have fumbled twice, but he played his best game all season and showed real signs of guts out there. Harold Landry is the bend king of the NFL. The Titans may not make the playoffs, but they are a hard team for anyone to play.

20) Detroit Lions The Lions looked pathetic on Sunday, even though their defense played really well against a really good Minnesota offense. The offense just couldn’t get going on account of Danielle Hunter owning a permanent residence in the Lion’s backfield. The Lions will not contend, the season is now about improvement. Show progress from your players. Show that Hand, Tabor, Davis, Johnson and Golladay are legitimate building blocks.

22) Dallas CowboysI think it is okay to admit that Dak Prescott is a bad QB. Until Monday night I had always thought he was okay, but now I think he is the problem, and opposing teams know that. The reason that Zeke is playing only okay is because they know Dak won’t be able to take advantage of their single coverage. Let’s call this the Bortles/Fournette Conundrum. The Cowboys are in trouble and nothing would make me happier than Jerry reaching on a QB in this years draft.

23) Indianapolis ColtsThis team is coming off a BYE which allows Jack Doyle and TY Hilton to get fully healthy. This team will continue to be a headache for me. The best garbage time team takes on Jacksonville in a true test to see if Andrew Luck is truly back and that Bortles is truly bad (HINT: Both are true).

24) Denver BroncosThis team is just on autopilot right now. Waiting for a decent team to fall in their lap. I think the whole team has lost some confidence and fight since the Demaryius Thomas trade. I think the defense is just getting tired of not contending, and except for the development of Lindsay and Sutton, there isn’t much else to play for.

25) Tampa Bay BuccaneersWe have now reached the final stage of Fitzmagic. After winning surprising games, being bad, then being bench, then taking over for the “franchise QB”, Fitzmagic is now in the stage of playing great football and putting up a lot of points, while losing every single game. Have fun Tampa Bay.

26) Cleveland BrownsNew coach, same Browns; treading water waiting for next year. Only this time they only have 1 pick in the first round. Baker is playing well, so is Chubb, so is Njoku, Peppers isn’t, Myles Garrett is A top 5 defensive player, they got rid of Hue Jackson. In my book, that’s a wrap on a successful Browns season. Better luck next year

27) San Francisco 49ersI love the Nick Mullins story as much as anyone else. However, every play he made was to a WIDE open receiver. This game proved three things to me, Kyle Shanahan is a genius, CJ Beathard sucks, and Nick Mullins will be an OC in 8 years. The defense is playing better. I wish I could cure an ACL tear for this team.

28) NY JetsThis team is becoming a dumpster fire. They cannot take care of the football game and the turnover problems Darnold had in college seem to be substantiated in the NFL. Granted his O Line and whole team are terrible. I hope they can figure something out, but their defense next year can be special

29) Arizona CardinalsThis team was on a BYE. Not much to say. Keep Josh Rosen healthy. Don’t kill David Johnson.

30) NY GiantsAnother BYE week so I can’t go off on Eli again. I like how they didn’t sell during the trade deadline because the players they have will have more value in the offseason. JUST FIND A NEW QB I DON’T CARE IF HERBERT DECLARES OR NOT.

31) Oakland RaidersThis team played bad, Derek Carr played bad, but it was a short week. I don’t know what else to say about a team that has clearly given up on this year.

32) Buffalo BillsTheir defense should make it impossible for them to be this low. That is how bad their offense is, and how bad their QB and receivers, and lineman, and even Shady are. This team may be one of the worst offensive rosters ever. No Joke. If I was a fantasy player, every week, play the defense playing them. I hate this placing because the people of Buffalo deserve more. But they have Nathan Peterman so this is where we stand.

​The lights in Crisler Center lower and the moment the crowd has been waiting for has arrived. The replays from last season flash across the big screen in the middle of the court. Jordan Poole’s famous buzzer beater has each fan's heart beating faster. Nostalgia washes over the arena. John Beilein cuts the net from the Big Ten Championship game. Memories of a season passed flood everyone’s minds.What does that leave the Michigan Wolverines with now? With Mo Wagner off to LA with the Lakers and Duncan Robinson in Miami with the Heat, the remaining Wolverines have big shoes to fill. Coming off a win over Northwood on Friday, the team is just breaking through the possibilities of the season.Tuesday night brought loyal fans to celebrate the 63-44 win over Norfolk State, giving Beilein his 800th win in his coaching career. Although the Norfolk State Spartans are not the “Spartans” the team is used to competing against, they showed the same amount of hustle that they normally bring against every team, big rivalry or not.This team showed impressive defensive skills that seemed finer tuned than last year. Each player was hungry for rebounds and went after each Spartan with intense double and triple teams that resulted in 12 turnovers throughout the game. This was crucial in allowing the team to get the ball back and try their shot at increasing the score gap. The team was not afraid to attack the opposing players, which will be essential for them to keep up throughout the season.Returning starter Isaiah Livers showed his defensive abilities last night producing eight rebounds, while Jon Teske was the game’s leading scorer with 13 points as well as 8 rebounds. A new face also came on the court last night. Freshman forward, Ignas Brazdeikis proved he earned the starting position as the second leading scorer for the Wolverines with 12 points shooting 5-7 from the line. The team flowed well together mirroring the abilities of how they looked last year at the NCAA Tournament. As the team begins their road to March, they take each game between now and then as an opportunity to improve and prove that they are still #1 in the Big Ten.Moving forward in the season, there is hope to return to the same place the team was last year. Defeating ranked opponents, conquering the Big Ten, and making it to the NCAA Championship brought a new energy to the Michigan basketball fans. Hope filled the fans on Tuesday as they started off a new season with a new team. Excitement motivates this team to not only mirror the 2017-2018 team but one up them and bring home Michigan’s second NCAA Championship.

What do you do when Chase Winovich and Devin Bush tell you to get loud? You get loud, obviously, and that is exactly the mentality the Michigan fans took yesterday evening. The Michigan Wolverines had major energy surging through the stadium, which gave them the motivation to dominate the Penn State Nittany Lions 42-7.

From the beginning of the game until the end, the Wolverines played better football than we’ve seen in any game this year. With 8 minutes left in the first quarter, Michigan took advantage of their first possession and brought it to the end zone within 4 minutes. Michigan quarterback, Shea Patterson, took it upon himself to put the Wolverines on the board with a fake handoff and a quick run to the end zone.

The real momentum came in the 2nd quarter, with a fumbled handoff from PSU’s quarterback, Trace McSorley. Chase Winovich was all over the ball, recovering the fumble, giving the Wolverines the chance to once again score a touchdown. 5 minutes later and Patterson connected with Donovan Peoples-Jones in the back right corner of the maize and blue end zone to get the ball rolling for Michigan. DPJ then chirped former PSU running back, Saquon Barkley, with a touchdown celebration mimicking Barkley’s celebration during the matchup last year in Happy Valley.

The crowd couldn’t be contained during the game, especially when the big screen told them to “make noise”. This was a crucial part to the game and motivated the Michigan defense to hold Penn State’s offense to just 68 rushing yards, compared to Michigan’s 259. McSorley seemed to get frazzled each time he had the ball, as the crowd would only get louder which each failed attempt at a first down. The Michigan fans were rewarded for their help in the win with “Mo Bamba” by Shek Wes playing throughout the Big House during the 4th quarter.

The Wolverines sealed Penn State’s fate after the refs declined the targeting call on PSU’s defense. As the replay showed DPJ took a shoulder to the head, all bets were off for the Michigan offense to show mercy toward their opponents. Patterson found Zach Gentry in the end zone shortly after the call, increasing the score to 21-0.

The night seemed to be complete as a familiar face returned to play. Tarik Black’s lucky #7 on field seemed too good to be true as his college career has been injury ridden. He came out strong making a connection with Patterson to bring the ball to the end zone. This moment was soon stripped away by a Michigan offensive holding penalty that revoked the touchdown but allowed Black to show that he’s “no rookie” according to his post-game Instagram.

The final touchdown of the game was made by Penn State, but the Nittany Lions were anything but happy leaving the Big House late Saturday night. With the Revenge Tour wrapping up, there is only one stop left for the Wolverines to dominate. “The Game” is approaching fast with Michigan facing Rutgers and Indiana on the way. With this big win over a rival like Penn State, Michigan will hopefully continue this momentum until they face Ohio State in Columbus November 24th.

Alex: The bye week is over and it’s time to play some football again! Michigan has a big matchup with Penn St. on Saturday which will be the last meaningful test until Ohio State. But first, the College Football Playoff rankings were unveiled on Tuesday night. Michigan is ranked 5th and it would appear that they control their own destiny. Agree? Evan: I only see two scenarios where that isn’t true:LSU beats Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, Alabama, LSU win out.

I can’t see any scenario where Oklahoma, West Virginia, or Washington State jumps Michigan, so other than those two scenarios (neither of which are particularly likely), yes I agree.Alex: Well scenario one could be ruled out on Saturday because it’s the biggest week of the season in terms of huge matchups, with LSU taking on Alabama. To condense those scenarios above, Michigan just wants Alabama to win out. Which seems like a pretty safe assumption at this point in time. Evan: About half of the playoff contenders could be eliminated this weekend. Every team still in contention either has their biggest or second biggest remaining game (not including conference championships). It should be a wild weekend… Speaking of which, the buildup to this Michigan v Penn State matchup sure has made its mark on social media. Before we get into the Xs and Os, what are your thoughts on how comments from the coaching staff and players will factor into the game?Alex: I’m not really sure. We know that this Michigan team has been playing with a particular fire against teams they lost to a year ago, Wisconsin and Michigan State. Penn State is also on that list and so I would expect the Wolverines to be ready and raring to go from the opening kickoff. As for Penn State? I’m not entirely sure. Evan: If you believe Don Brown, then this team has all the motivation they need for Saturday already. Jim Harbaugh teams don’t traditionally do well after bye weeks, so I’m most interested in how they start the game offensively, and how the coaching staff comes out of halftime.Alex: The nice thing about the bye week is that it’s hard to overlook this game. There was reason to be concerned about Michigan overlooking the Nittany Lions given that it’s right after the Michigan State game. But with a bye week to think and prepare and draft a game-plan for the contest, I think it’s hard to believe that the Wolverines will be unprepared. Evan: I agree that the game plan should be good. With a bye week, I worry more about the team coming out flat, which was a problem early in the year but has become less and less of an issue. This team just feels motivated in a different way, so I think they’ll come out strong. Anyways, how do you feel about Penn State’s offense that torched Michigan last year? They don’t have Saquon Barkley, Mike Gesicki, or Joe Moorhead, and Trace McSorley might have an injured knee, but they still can’t be overlooked. Alex: The biggest loss is Joe Moorhead. He was an absolute offensive wizard who saved James Franklin’s tenure at Penn State. While Saquon Barkley’s emergence was an important factor, Penn State’s offense went from 62nd the year before Moorehead arrived in S&P+ to 18th his first season to 10th last year. But they have also lost some weapons. Miles Sanders is very good but he’s not Saquon Barkley and Mike Gesicki was an infuriatingly good tight end target. DaeSean Hamilton is an underrated loss too. After reviewing game film from the matchup between the two teams a year ago, Hamilton was the second most potent offensive weapon in that game behind Barkley. He repeatedly toasted Tyree Kinnel in that game and was a menace all night long. But yes, McSorley’s potential injury is important because of his mobility. He hurt Michigan with that a year ago, abusing the Wolverines when they over compensated on Barkley for three rushing TD’s. Evan: One thing I’ll be watching for is how often Michigan gets Penn State in 2nd and 3rd and longs and forces them to go to the air. McSorley hasn’t thrown more than 36 passes in a game this season, and he’s had at least as many carries as completions in half of Penn State’s games. If those two trends hold, that probably means Penn State has success on the ground and keeps the game close. However, I expect him to have to throw the ball a lot more. If he is healthy, the way he can beat Don Brown’s defense is by being patient in the pocket while the line absorbs the Michigan pass rush and then taking off on designed or un-designed QB draw plays. But that’s what makes his health a huge factor. If Michigan gets an early lead and takes the run game out of the picture for Penn State, McSorley is not a good “stand in the pocket and throw it QB”. He’s struggled to complete passes (52.8% completions), with interceptions (3:1 TD to interception ratio), and yard per attempt (7.0). All those numbers are his career lows since he became the starter. How much does that have to do with Moorhead, Barkley, and his top two targets being gone? Probably a lot. But Penn State isn’t going to beat Michigan on the power of Trace McSorley’s arm, and that’s before even bringing up that Michigan has the best pass defense in the nation.Alex: I think that’s a fair assessment. Let’s flip it around then. What do you make of how Michigan’s offense matches up with the Penn State defense? I think that’s the less talked about aspect of the game, yet just as important.Evan: Penn State is 64th in opponent yards per game, but 34th in opponent points per game. Michigan will move the ball, but the key will be finishing drives. That was a problem against Notre Dame week 1 and again against Michigan State. Both those games were on the road though, and the Wolverines have been notably better at finishing drives during home games. Still, the Bill Belichick/Green Bay Packers style bend-don’t break defense is tough to play against. Both teams will look to have long drives and wear down the opposing defenses. Red zone efficiency is the x-factor in this game.Alex: Finishing drives will absolutely be critical. I also think that getting an early lead and allowing Michigan to get the crowd behind the home team is important in this game. I’m looking to see if the Wolverines can impose their will on the ground. That’s been the winning strategy over the last two games, especially in the second half. Penn State is only 54th against the run in S&P+ so there is an opportunity for Michigan to bully their way to victory. We’ve seen the game plan against MSU and Wisconsin: take the lead, let your defense do the work, and salt the game away on the ground. Shall we do predictions? Evan: We shall. What’s the season series at? I propose the leader goes first from here on out.Alex: If I remember correctly, it’s at 5-3 me. Evan: Sounds right. The floor is yours then. I need to win at least 3/4 to level the series going into the North Carolina basketball game… which is where our stakes lie. If it’s tied we can cross that bridge then.Alex: I already mentioned I’m watching for the Michigan running game versus the PSU defense. Score prediction is Michigan 24-14. MVP is Karan Higdon. Evan: And I already mentioned I’m watching for red zone efficiency. I’ll go Michigan 27 - Penn State 13. I think Michigan goes into halftime with a two score lead and just grinds the clock down in the second half. I’ll go with Khaleke Hudson as MVP… He will have a critical role in stopping McSorley, and I think he’s up for the task.

1) LA RamsGod is there any way Todd Gurley can get an honorary MVP for the season, oh wait offensive MVP (get ready for a repeat of last year). Any player can score in this Sean McVay offense, even if they almost lost to the Packers at “home.” They are in for a tough schedule ahead, starting this week with the only team that can dissect defenses as well as Sean McVay, Sean Payton and the Saints. Dante Fowler is on an already dominant D Line, good luck NFC.

2) Kansas City ChiefsTheir offense is special. Kareem Hunt has quietly been one of the 3 best RBs in the sport. I don’t think anyone has been more forgotten unfairly all season. Same old story, this team NEEDS a CB; it gets tiring saying that. To add insult to injury, Tyreek Hill will be questionable for the next week, taking away their most dynamic weapon. Luckily, they are playing the new and improved Browns.

3) New Orleans OH MY GOD I LOVE TAYSOM HILL. Any time Hill is on the field I turn my head and pray there will be a gadget play. Most fun team to watch in the league in my opinion. I moved this team up a spot because they contained an explosive Vikings offense, with a defense that is finally showing promise. I am seeing Marshon Lattimore return to his elite self. This team is different from ever before. This team isn’t a quick throw, creative screen team anymore, it is THE running team in the league. Crushing you with Kamara, Ingram, and especially Taysom Hill.

4) New England Patriots I think the Patriots miss their lead back, which is something I didn’t know was allowed to be said in the halls of Gillette Stadium. I watch the team with Cordarrelle Patterson and James Develin as RBs running the football and think they are missing their trusted in-between-the-tackles back. Also, where is Gronk? I think this team has gone away from the TE strong attack they used to run and switched to situational receivers who fill roles, and a RB who functions as a WR. I think this defense is playing better, but still has holes (hard to tell when you are playing Derek Anderson). This and the previous 3 teams are all locks for a BYE this postseason.

5) Carolina PanthersThe Panthers didn’t just beat a really good Ravens team, they beat them at every facet of the game. They are an electric offense right now with the ability to score however they truly please. Cam Newton has quietly become a top 5 QB again and should be mentioned in the MVP race more that he is right now. The defense is also solid, finding a legitimate pass-rush. I think this may be the sleeper team that could beat anyone in the playoffs. I wouldn’t be surprised if they raise the Lombardi Trophy at season’s end.

6) Los Angeles (San Diego) ChargersThe most exciting thing to come out of Chargers’ camp during a BYE week was the fact that they will stay in their current lease for 20 years. (Please go back to San Diego, or least go to Vegas instead of the Raiders so fanbases can have teams they actually care about). Melvin Gordon will at least be back next week.

7) Pittsburgh SteelersRemember how people were calling for Mike Tomlin’s job because they started out slow? Well look at them now. The offense is looking smooth (and by the time this article is released we will know the fate of Le'Veon Bell). James Conner looks like he could carry the load even without him there. I am excited about this team moving forward; however their, long-term prospects are not as appealing. Unlike the teams before, I am unsure of their ability to outscore the points they give up, especially against the teams ahead of them.

8) Houston Texans They are pass blocking better than ever this season… against the Dolphins though. This team has problems though, and that line will give them trouble moving forward, unless you like Martinas Rankin. The defense is playing like an elite unit however. Hopefully this wasn’t just a one time explosion by Deshaun. This will be the best team in the AFC South.

9) Cincinnati Bengals It feels like the same story every year, the Bengals teeter on great team but fall just short of that elite status, relying on AJ Green too much. Well I’m here to tell the people of Cincinnati, your team has elite talent outside AJ Green. Joe Mixon has established himself as a legitimate star, and Tyler Boyd is no slouch either. William Jackson has established himself as a top 13 starting CB, and Jessie Bates has asserted himself as one of the better safeties. The only thing stopping this team is for whatever reason, they seem to be sure that the only way to win is for Andy Dalton to throw the ball every play.

10) Philadelphia Eagles Pay no attention to the records in NFC East, this is still the team to beat. I know Washington has a better record, but the Eagles are officially out of their hangover and ready for Carson Wentz to light up the NFL again, and I for one can’t wait. The injury to Jalen Mills may make the Eagles realize that someone else is more suited to play the outside corner role. Even without Lane Johnson and Peters at times they were still able to pass block for Carson against a fierce Jacksonville Jaguars team. Look for the Eagles to fly into the playoffs.

11) Chicago BearsTry running on this team, it will be near impossible. Add a healthy Khalil Mack and I dare anyone to get 5 yards a carry. This team is still dangerous and can make real noise come the playoff race. Mitch Trubisky may not be special, but he may be the most dangerous runner at QB outside Deshaun Watson. The Hebrew and The Hammer still are my favorite RB duo in football. I would not be surprised if this team takes the division or beats out the Vikings. I doubt you noticed, but they are winning the division

12) Washington Football TeamI don’t like this team. This is like the Dolphins earlier this season, they are only this high because of their record. Their defense is good. Adrian Peterson has found a second gear at age 33; congrats, great to see. I just do not trust an Alex Smith led offense throwing to Josh Doctson to really make noise and beat the Eagles. Getting Haha doesn’t change my mind, since he's basically another DJ Swearinger.

13) Green Bay PackersThe Packers shoulda won that game, they shoulda. The upset of the year would have been great for the Packers’ ego, now all we talk about is whether Ty Montgomery should be cut. Still, I am convinced that as long as Aaron Rodgers exists (and the Vikings underperform) this will be the team representing the North. There are a plethora of weapons to choose from for Aaron Rodgers, and now there is a RUNNING BACK!!!! Aaron Jones just got freed and the world can rejoice because the Packers are now a two-dimensional offense. If their run defense keeps up their pace, this team could shock some people. Jaire Alexander is the REAL DEAL. I do think losing Haha is a real problem.

14) Minnesota VikingsI just am not impressed with the Vikings this year, and if you think Kirk Cousins INTs are the problem then you are not watching the games. This defense is giving up big play after big play. I thought the return of Everson Griffen would totally change their defense, and to be fair they played the Saints so it’s hard to tell. However this secondary is not elite like it was last year; I don’t know what happened to Xavier Rhodes. I like this offense a lot, but I just like the Bears defense more than the Vikings’ offense, and maybe the Bears offense more than the Vikings defense.

15) Baltimore RavensThis one hurt. I wanted to put them in the top 10 really badly. It’s just that they are at .500 and got exposed against a good Carolina team. Joe Flacco had his worst game of the year, and the team now needs a rebound. The defense is still excellent, the offense is still good. They can win their division. Luckily for them, if they ever needed a game to get excited about they play a pivotal game against the Steelers (bloodbath of the year).

16) Seattle Seahawks They smoked the Lions, it was hard to watch. I think everyone who has doubted if Russell Wilson is elite, just close your mouth now. This team has all the flaws in the world and can still win a lot of games because of this man. The defense stinks, the O-line stinks. I respect that they have realized this and decided to be a run-first, control the clock type football team, relying on Russell Wilson to make the plays to win the game for them.

17) Detroit LionsThis team had a Snacks-sized growing period this week. The Lions clearly were working through some kinks on defense this weekend, and against Russell Wilson, that’s never a great thing. The offense really underperformed. They never really felt on track until very late when the game was sealed by an amazing interception by the Seahawks. I think this was more outlier than the norm and it is on to next week for the Lions.

18) Dallas Cowboys The Boys were on BYE and now need to do their best to get Amari Cooper incorporated into their offense. All the media will be talking bout Amari, not the really good defense that goes unnoticed, Dak Prescott’s improved mechanics, or Chidobe Awuzie becoming one of the best shutdown corners in football. To be fair that is all I’m interested in too. Still wasn’t worth the first.

19) Tennessee TitansI think I have been a little too hard on the Titans. This team isn’t bad, just not exciting. They can win games by ground and pounding. I just think they need a spark on offense, and it’s name should be Corey Davis. I have no clue why there are not more designed plays to get Corey Davis the ball, because he looks special. I hope they figure it out (probably won’t) but the titans can be a tough out for any team.

20) Atlanta FalconsThe Falcons have players on offense with no scheme. They have a successful defensive scheme, but all their players are hurt. I get that they are 3-4, but they play in a division with the Panthers and Saints. I just think that they are the most easily burned team in the middle of the field throughout the NFL. I just don’t see them with even a shot for the playoffs.

21) Jacksonville JaguarsI have no faith in this team at all. Blake Bortles is the only QB in the NFL (short of Eli) that can make this team lose. It is all Blake Bortles. This team is stacked in all facets of the game, we know this. This defense could be all time great, if they didn’t have to be on the field ¾ of the game. Dede Westbrook looks like a number 1 wide receiver, and can’t officially break out because of Bortles. Same with DJ Chark (I know he dropped a TD catch). I am mad, so mad, that I cannot trust this team to win games. (If Tyrod is a Jaguar by the time this article goes out then I will feel better). (Sorry Andrew, no good news to report, this team is doomed).

22) Indianapolis ColtsI love this team so much. Marlon Mack looks legit, and Nheim Hynes gives him a lovely combo. They are heading to a much needed BYE week to get their players happy. I think they could beat the Jaguars when they get back.

23) Denver BroncosAll hail Phillip Lindsay. This guy is just an absolute animal out there. I see only a hand full of people at his time play with his intensity. I love the fact that he is finally the lead back. The Von-Chubb combo looks really special. They stayed within striking distance of the Chiefs last week, and I don’t think that was an accident. This team is a headache for any team to face

24) Tampa Bay BucsFitzmagic is back!!! I am so happy to report this because I think the whole team likes Fitzpatrick way more than Winston in general. This offense could be dangerous, and now they have someone who knows when to play hero football. I just feel bad because this is the situation for 2 years. I worry because this draft class will give them no answer at QB, especially because even if Herbert does declare, he won’t be there for the Bucs.

25) Miami DolphinsI finally get to talk bad about this team. Shouldn’t be hard when the starting QB job is between Brock Osweiler and Ryan Tannehill. At the beginning of the season I picked this team to have the number 1 pick. Now they are gonna be in contention for top 5. I hope those early upsets were worth it.

26) New York JetsI like this team a lot. I have said it every week. Darnold looks good. Adams is my favorite defensive player in the league. This running attack needs a spark, cause I’m positive that Isaiah Crowell looks like just a guy. I can’t wait until next year. I have a feeling that Devin White will be on this team next year for the scariest LSU duo since Patrick Peterson and the Honey Badger.

27) Cleveland BrownsBye Hue Jackson, it was nice to hear you blame your players for why you were 3-36-1. I am just sad that Todd Haley is not gonna be the interim HC. He took a Matt Cassel-led Chiefs team to the playoffs. This team for the rest of the season is just trying to show off their talent and evaluate. Crazy to think that Greg Williams is auditioning for his second HC job, Buffalo fans must be proud.28) Buffalo BillsI just feel really bad for the Bills. This team has nothing on offense*, including Shady. I just don’t see them winning a game, unless the defense scores, TWICE. It is a real problem. Don’t you worry Buffalo fans help is on the way, meet your new QB Terrelle Pryor.

29) Arizona Cardinals It’s not every day I shower praise on the Arizona Cardinals, but I think they are a step away from possibly having a nice foundation on which to build upon. I like Josh Rosen more and more each week; I just worry about him getting sacked and his career ending abruptly. David Johnson still has talent, but like Rosen there is no O-line to block for him. I really don’t have much more to say on a boring team.

30) San Francisco I just feel bad for Kyle Shanahan at this point. You are forced to use CJ Beathard and to rely on Greg Kittle and Marquise Goodwin in the pass game. He can only do so much. I think this team should just take an L on the season and see if they can make a run at Oliver or Bosa, if not, trade down and wait for Jimmy G.

31) Oakland Raiders Congrats Derek Carr you looked like you remembered to throw the football again. I’m not one of these people who think Derek Carr was completely overpaid, and should leave. I think the game against the Colts proved he knows how to play and make most throws on the field. I just wanna see development from any of the other young… O wait.

32) New York GiantsWithout a doubt the most pathetic team in football right now. They have no reason not to contend with the roster they posses, but they had to make sure Eli gets the ring. If anyone tells you that Eli Manning has been playing starting level caliber football for any of the last four years than they are either liars or Take Artists. You know what is funny? The Atlanta game is actually his best QBR in 2 years. That should show you how bad a stat that and completion percentage are, because it contradicts what everyone can see, ELI MANNING IS THE WORST QB IN THE NFL. The worst part is that Eli pads his stats at the end of the game by throwing dink and dunk passes to pad his completion percentage. Eli is a joke.

Michigan doesn’t play football this weekend. That also means that Michigan won’t win for the first time in 7 weeks. But don’t make plans this Saturday yet, there are still a few ways Michigan can come out of this weekend as a winner. Ohio State doesn’t play, Alabama and LSU don’t play for another week, but some of these games can improve Michigan’s Big Ten title and CFP odds.

Northwestern defeats Wisconsin

Thanks to the Spoilermakers, we’re now at the point where it wouldn’t be arrogant for Michigan fans to start rooting for a weak team from the Big Ten West to advance to the Championship game. And the Big Ten West is wiiiiiide open. Wisconsin, Iowa, Northwestern, and Purdue have all lost only one game in conference play. Northwestern is in the driver’s seat as the only one of the four with four conference wins. They also beat Purdue in West Lafayette already and now get Wisconsin at home. Should the Wildcats (-3.5) pull off the upset, they would instantly become the favorites to win the Big Ten West. They have to go on the road to play Iowa, but they could afford to slip up in that one with a win today. Of the four teams in contention, Northwestern and Wisconsin are the two that have played Michigan, and Northwestern certainly came much closer to winning, but it would be foolish to want to play Wisconsin again at a neutral location rather than Northwestern. By all metrics that first Michigan Northwestern had no business being that close, and Michigan would be a heavy favorite if they met again, this would not be the case against Wisconsin, who might remember they have Jonathan Taylor the second time around. Root for the Cats to pull off the upset in order to set up the easiest path to a B1G Championship for the Wolverines in ages.

2. Penn State defeats Iowa

Staying in the Big Ten, Michigan has a lot to gain from this one. Penn State coming to Ann Arbor doesn’t look like it will have all the same hype it started the year with, but beating a two-loss Penn State team would still be a huge win for the Wolverines. Most importantly, it would give Michigan their third top 25 win of the season, three more than Big XII favorite Oklahoma. Should Michigan win out, their only threats to a CFP bid would be a 12-1 Oklahoma or anyone beside Alabama winning the SEC. Right now Oklahoma has a loss to top-10 Texas at a neutral site, but that’s trumped by Michigan who boasts the best loss in the country. The bigger advantage comes from the fact that Oklahoma has 0 wins versus ranked opponents. Michigan can begin to get comfortable if Penn State wins today, moves up into the top-15 of the first CFP rankings, and then adds another win against a team likely to be ranked at the end of the year. Penn State is also two games back of Michigan in the Big Ten East, so a loss would not put Michigan’s Big Ten title bid in danger. Conversely, Iowa is probably the last team Michigan wants to see come out of the Big Ten West. If they keep winning, Iowa will be a top 10 team come December 1st, and back to back wins versus Ohio State and Iowa would mean Jim Harbaugh has now beaten every Big Ten school as a coach while also adding another stop on the Revenge Tour, but Iowa regularly pulls off upsets like they did in 2016. This team is good, and their spooky factor is maxed out. A top 15-opponent in the hand is worth a top-10 opponent in the bush. Please keep Iowa far away from Indy.

3. Florida defeats Georgia

The ninth ranked Gators will meet the 7th ranked Bulldogs in Jacksonville. This is unequivocally the game of the week, and probably the SEC East Championship Game. So it belongs on this list, but neither result helps Michigan much either way. That being said, Michigan definitely wants Florida. If either of these teams win the SEC, they are making the playoffs, and possibly Alabama too. So Michigan should root for the weaker team to win. Florida is less likely to beat Alabama, and best of all, currently trails Kentucky in the SEC East. Florida winning provides the best shot at Kentucky possibly winning the SEC East. Either way, loser of this game is eliminated from playoff contention.

4. Oklahoma State, Kansas State, or Florida State winning

These teams play Texas at home, Oklahoma on the road, and Clemson at home respectively. The last two will probably lose, but S&P + actually thinks Oklahoma State is considerably better than Texas, home field advantage aside. A Clemson loss would be the most valuable, but they have 0 presently ranked teams on their schedule. At Florida State is their toughest game remaining by default. They ain’t played nobody, but they’re still really good. A loss would probably keep Clemson out if Michigan, Oklahoma, or Texas win out, and if it’s going to happen, it’s probably this weekend. Kansas State’s odds are slim, but we can hope. Any one of these teams winning is reason to celebrate.

5. The CFP Committee loves the Big Ten

The first CFP rankings come out this Tuesday. It is very unlikely Michigan is anything but 5th in the first rankings. But, the committee did surprise people ranking Georgia number 1 in their first rankings last year. The real victory for Michigan would be if the committee ranks other Big Ten teams favorably. The advantage of not ranking until more than halfway through the season is perspective. Penn State’s OT win vs Appalachian State looked ugly at the time, but is now debatably a quality win. Appalachian State just lost their first game since, on the road to a now 7-1 Georgia Southern team. The higher the Big Ten is ranked, and the lower the Big XII, the better for Michigan. Hope to see Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Iowa all ranked and get excited if anyone else is. Hope that at least four of the five are top 15. I’ll forgive you if you don’t hope any of these things happen to Ohio State. Hope that only Texas, Oklahoma, and West Virginia are ranked out of the Big XII and that they are ranked low compared to the AP Poll.

Alex: We have finally reached Michigan’s bye week, which means that we can take a bit of a breather from the usual routine. First topic of discussion will be a quick rehashing of the MSU game but the main idea will be comparing this year’s Wolverines squad to the one that came oh so close to the College Football Playoff 2 years ago. But first, how about that win on Saturday?Evan: I was shocked to be honest. Between Heisman dark horse Brian Lewerke, All-American level linebacker Joe Bachie, future All-Pro receiver Felton Davis (I feel genuinely terrible for Davis; torn achilles are among the most painful injuries and most difficult to recover from), and all-world coach Mark Dantonio, I was sure MSU would dominate Michigan once again. Right? That’s what all their writers and fans have said for the last 6 months… What was I supposed to expect? The better team to win? The most dominant defense in college football to embarrass Dave Warner and Brian Lewerke? 5-star quarterback Shea Patterson to hit 5-star receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones in stride for a 79 yard touchdown (the Gus-gasm of the year so far)? Jim Harbaugh and this Michigan team to continue the revenge tour and eliminate one more demon? Pshhh. No way. That would never happen. Not in this rivalry. Oh wait… I guess it’s time to wait for basketball season:

Alex: I see you’re still riding the sugarhigh of this weekend’s result. But in all honesty, it was simply a much better and much more talented football team beating a weaker and less talented one. No ghosts, no karma, just Michigan showing it is an elite team and with the events of the weekend that went down in West Lafayette, quite frankly Michigan showed it was the best team in the Big Ten. It was an absolute dominant defensive effort, but honestly, I was most impressed by the offensive line. I said last week this would be a huge test for Ed Warinner’s group, going up against the #1 run defense in the country. And they passed the test. Michigan didn’t shred MSU but they moved them enough to grind out the win. And if they can do it against the Spartans, they can do it against anybody. Evan: I’m sorry, I know you’re being serious, but can I just point out the fact that MSU gained less yards from their actual offense than they did from Michigan penalties? I wouldn’t even call them a little brother after this game. Usually, big brothers cede just a little to their younger siblings when a game is that much of a beat down. MSU was more like the annoying kid down the street that talks and pushes you to the point of no return (@markdantonio and his pregame walk (which video evidence confirmed *cue “That’s BS” video*)) that you finally get your hands on and literally beat into the ground. That’s what this game was. I still don’t know where this edge came from, but for the last month, this team is play angry. This is Michigan. I’ve waited my whole football fan life for this team to play this way. That is all. Back to the Xs and Os.Alex: Well now that we got that out of the way, let’s move onto the main topic: looking at this team compared to 2016. That 2016 Michigan team was a group that came so close to the dreams that the 2018 squad is trying to accomplish and since they were literally inches away, they serve as a good watermark for looking at this year’s collection of talent. Let’s start with the offense. What is your opinion of the comparison between 2018 and 2016? Evan: The backfield is better. Shea Patterson’s playmaking ability far exceeds that of Wilton Speight, and although Deveon Smith was a very solid back, Karan Higdon is still better. Ben Mason probably isn’t quite as good at converting 3rd/4th and short as Khalid Hill was, but he provides more of an every down presence than Hill. The offensive line isn’t as experienced or as seasoned, but they are much, much, much better coached this year. They’ve improved every week, whereas that 2016 line was just consistent from start to finish.Jake Butt is one of the great tight ends in Michigan history, and none of the current tight ends come close to his production. But Zach Gentry, Sean McKeon, and Nick Eubanks have all proven valuable in different manners and capacities. Harbaugh loves his tight ends, and he will continue to use and develop this group.The receivers are young, but extremely talented. Those 2016 receivers (Chesson and Darboh) were absolute studs, but also were seniors. DPJ, Collins, Martin, and potentially Tarik Black have much higher ceilings, but I’d argue they are close to the same level as Chesson and Darboh played at. Also, 2018 Grant Perry is even smarter and more valuable than 2016 Grant Perry. He just sees the field less because of the plethora of tight ends and receivers right now. Alex: Let’s take this one step at a time. I agree that Shea Patterson’s legs are very important to this offense but even just his passing has been better than Speight. When consulting MGoBlog’s Downfield Success Rate “DSR” stat, Patterson has averaged a 75.7 this season (not including MSU), while Speight averaged 69.4 in 2016 (which didn’t include the OSU/FSU games, which probably would bring down his number). Patterson still has a few hurdles left to clear, but he’s been the better QB. At the receivers, I think the biggest thing I take away from this comparison is the depth Michigan now has. In 2016, Darboh and Chesson were leaned on for basically everything. Yeah Grant Perry played a bit and so did Eddie McDoom, but Darboh and Chesson were the guys 90+% of the time. This year, Michigan has used DPJ, Collins, Perry, Martin, Bell, and may soon have Tarik Black back. Same thing with the Tight Ends. Jake Butt played nearly every single play of the important games in 2016, with Ian Bunting and Devin Asiasi used sparingly. In 2018, Michigan uses all of McKeon, Gentry, and Eubanks each game, rotating them based on situations. While running back also has more depth having a “the guy” at that position is a big boost, as Higdon has proved to be a top 3 RB in the Big Ten this season. As for the offensive line, I have some more stats if you want them. Evan: I want them.Alex: Drawing on the Upon Further Review stats once again, the 2018 line is averaging a 74.71% in pass protection. Through the Iowa game in 2016, that line averaged a 72.36% in pass protection. But in rushing, it’s 70% vs 63% in favor of the 2018 line. The last hurdle to clear will be Ohio State and it would certainly be interesting if Michigan made the playoff and were matched up with Clemson or Alabama. But at this point in time, the magic of Ed Warinner’s coaching and the strength of JBB and the interior on the ground is getting it done for Michigan and giving 2018’s line the edge over 2016, and that’s manifested in other metrics. For example, the 2016 rushing game was 49th in the country per S&P+, whereas the 2018 unit is 12th. That’s a big deal. Evan: One question that I have in response to the improvement in rushing yards is, how much of that is attributable to Ed Warriner and the offensive line, and how much of it is Karan Higdon just being really, really good? I think it’s definitely something to consider, but that isn’t meant to take anything away from this group. Tim Drevno may have set the offense back in a lot of ways, but Warriner is doing a phenomenal job of expediting the recovery process.Alex: The rushing and pass pro % are blocking specific, but you bring up a good point in Higdon being a clear upgrade over Smith. One thing I will say is that the whole rushing thing is really important in terms of winning games because consider some things that went down in 2016. Not to open the sores of that season too much, but against Iowa, Michigan had the ball with 2 minutes to go, up 2 points. One first down would have won the game. Instead they ran twice for one yard each, threw an incomplete pass, and punted. Iowa would kick the game winning field goal on the next drive. Against OSU, the Wolverines had three fourth quarter possessions when they were up 3 points where they could have put the game away if they simply could have run the ball and ground out the clock. Instead they ran it 5 times for 14 yards and punted on all three possessions, allowing the Buckeyes to tie the game and go to OT. Evan: Stop. I don’t need this. I’m still enjoying what happened this weekend. I know Michigan lost to Iowa and OSU in 2016 because they couldn’t run the ball to ice the game. Karan Higdon’s development into a top running back is as important as having a top quarterback.But you’re right. If Michigan could have run the ball under pressure at the end of 2016, they would’ve won the B1G Ten. This time doesn’t appear to have that problem. I’m sure you want to discuss the defense, but another big factor for this year’s team vs 2016 is how much worse Ohio State is. I can only imagine an OSU student radio comparison of 2016 Ohio State vs 2018 Ohio State, but it ain’t pretty. Alex: JT Barrett > Dwayne Haskins. That is all. Onto the defense. These units are pretty darn similar in terms of their metrics being top of the nation. Do you want to go group by group, DLine, LB, and secondary? Evan: Sure. The DLine depth is not close to what Michigan had in 2016. Winovich, Gary, and Hurst were all backups on that team. Let that sink in for a second. This team has dealt with injuries to Gary and Aubrey Solomon (who was supposed to be the top defensive end), but the young players have stepped up. Josh Uche has been an excellent pass rusher, Kwity Paye has filled in for Gary quite often, and Michael Dwumfour (who also got injured during the Maryland game) has grown up before our eyes. The line isn’t the strength of this defense like years past, but they’re certainly a stellar group and if they get healthy for the stretch run, watch out.Alex: I’ve always thought that trying to compare depth is hard because we look back on the 2016 team and realize it had a lot of depth, not so much at the time. If Josh Uche follows a similar trajectory to Winovich or Dwumfour fully breaks out, there’s the chance we could look back and say this had similar depth. Not likely, but in terms of impact players, I think 2018 > 2016 on the ends and 2016 > 2018 in the middle.At linebacker, I think I prefer this year’s team. While 2016 had a lot of seasoned players, Khaleke Hudson is a better defensive player than Jabrill Peppers and I’ll take the athleticism of Devin Bush and Devin Gil over the wily experience of Ben Gedeon and Mike McCray. Evan: The linebackers are much stronger. And that isn’t a dig at Peppers, Gedeon, or McCray, it just speaks to how incredible Bush, Hudson, and Gil have been. Devin Bush is so athletic and Devin Gil has done the one thing McCray couldn’t: cover sideline to sideline. Hudson isn’t a better football player or athlete than Jabril Peppers, but man if he wasn’t made for the Viper position, I don’t know who was. Alex: Finally at secondary, I think it’s largely a wash. That group in 2016 was incredible and this group is… well downright incredible. It’s really a coin-flip over who I’d rather take. Hard to go wrong when comparing Jourdan Lewis to LaVert Hill or David Long, etc. Overall I’d say that 2018’s defense is less fine tuned. It’s absolutely improved over last year’s tendency to give up big plays but it still hasn’t had the consistency that 2016 had. There’s still been the occasional bad stretch (Northwestern first half, for example). But still it’s really nitpicking. You’re comparing two excellent defenses, and two defenses that were/are absolutely good enough to win the Big Ten and make the college football playoff. Any last words on the overall comparisons of the two teams? Evan: Don Brown’s secondarys consistently grade out as the top in the country. That’s all I have to say on that. This Michigan team is more complete than 2016. We didn’t cover special teams but Will Hart is the best Michigan punter since Zolton Mesko. And Quinn Nordin might not be consistent, but he has the biggest leg of any Michigan kicker I can remember. But the biggest difference for this team is the quarterback. Shea Patterson is simply a better playmaker than Wilton Speight, and that will be the difference for this team in November, December, and January. As long as the offensive line keeps improving and Michigan can manage the clock, this defense is good enough for the Wolverines to beat anybody. Let’s see if they can complete the Revenge Tour and get the chance. Alex: I agree. Right now it seems like this team has the tools to be a winning team more than 2016 did. It has the ability to grind out games on the ground and its smothering defense looks good enough to capture the Big Ten title. Only time will tell, but it’s hard not to like Michigan’s spot right now.